Republicans Stealing More Workers’ Money In Ohio!!! Total Now Near a Quarter of a Billion Dollars!!!!

I’ve reported here and here on the recent CoinGate scandal in Ohio where Republicans gave $50 Million of the Workers’ Compensation Fund to a well-connected Republican fundraiser, Tom Noe, who raised up to $250,000 for President Bush and much more for other Republicans in Ohio. He “lost” or allowed to be stolen a quarter of the$50 Million in workers’ funds which he “invested” in risky and easily lost or stolen “rare coins.” No other state is that stupid to put their Workers’ Compensation Fund in such a risky and easily lost or stolen item!

Well, it just keeps getting better! Now it has been learned that an additional $215 Million from the Workers’ Compensation Fund was “lost” by another well-connected Republican fundraiser, Mark D. Lay, when he invested the whole kitten caboodle in another high-risk investment (did he bet it at the race track?). This latest fundraising Republican contributed to Republican Ohio Governor Bob Taft’s campaign among others. You will remember that the prior alleged thief, Noe, was a close personal friend of Taft and another prior Republican Governor of Ohio. The Toledo Blade, a newspaper in Ohio, has been the only newspaper that is really covering this scandal that has reached President Bush who said while he returned the $4000 Noe gave him personally, he WILL NOT GIVE BACK the money that Noe raised for him that total nearly $250,000.00. This has also reached Ohio Governor Taft, as well as GOP gubernatorial candidates Attorney General Jim Petro, State Auditor Betty Montgomery, and Secretary of State J. Kenneth Blackwell who all may be involved in the scandal that lost a quarter of a Billion Dollars of workers’ money some of which may have ended up going into Bush, Taft and Blackwell’s pockets. Blackwell is also suspected of tampering with the 2004 election in Ohio that won Bush re-election.

Democratic Congressman Sherrod Brown said, state government leaders have been “inept” and “incompetent” for a decade and the “depth of corruption in Ohio might set national records. The governor's cronies have been losing [workers’] money, and the attorney general, the auditor, and the secretary of state seem to hear no evil and see no evil.” In this case, it appears “the people who are supposed to be the watchdog of state's government have all contributed to the corruption.”

Mr. Brown, a former Ohio secretary of state (back before Republicans took over and corruption took hold), said the situation in Ohio mirrors problems in Washington. “I've watched up close the arrogance of [Republican House Majority Leader] Tom DeLay,” he said, “and I see the way Taft, and Blackwell, and Petro … and those folks run the state government.” he said.

Mr. DeLay who is under investigation for repeated ethics violations and may soon be indicted for criminal activity surrounding his own fundraising activities responded, “The Democrats would like nothing more than to focus on these partisan attacks and ignore the fact that they have become the party of no ideas, no solutions, and no agenda.”

Ohio is a microcosm of Washington DC with Republicans controlling all the branches of government and rampant corruption plaguing it. I have one idea for the Democrats to suggest to DeLay—Send ALL of the Republican Criminals To Jail and Throw Away the Key!!! THE AMERICAN PEOPLE ARE TIRED OF THESE GOP THIEVES RUNNING OUR COUNTRY INTO THE GROUND AND POCKETTING OUR MONEY!!!!

Joe